Lean On Me
by SupernaturallyFalling
Summary: Written in the perspective of the reader. Pretty much for anyone who loves Ben Mason and Falling skies. It has Action, Adventure, Romance, Sci-Fi, Suspense, and a lot more! Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

You wake up to someone shaking you gently. The hands are warm and soft and immediately you know who they belong to. Your first thought is 'I must look terrible' but you shrug it away because he has seen you look worse. Finally your eyelids flutter open and you stare up into his perfect hazel eyes. Today they appear totally green, but when he leans closer you can see small flecks of golden brown. His eyes crinkle around the edges as he grins down at you. "Goooooodmorning" he says, stretching out the 'o'.

You sit up, ignoring him for the moment, and stretch, yawning as you do so. Since he's standing right in front of you, you look up, about to ask him to move. Then you notice he's still grinning. You eye him accusingly. "What? You're typically not a morning person. Why are you so happy?" Against the odds, his smile widens. "That rescue party that I went out with last night, to retrieve the harnessed kids we found earlier...We got HER!" He finally says. You narrow your eyes at him "They got WHO?" You ask. "HER. Your little sister." Your mouth drops open. You thought that was what he meant but you had dismissed it in the hopes of not getting disappointed.

A smile slowly draws itself across your face. You jump up and drape your arms around his neck just as he wraps you up in a hug; but you are both too close to the edge of the bed, so you lose your balance and fall back against the ruffled sheets. You quickly push him off of you, but he rolls back and pokes your sides causing you to let out a squeak. Annoyed by this sneak attack, you jump on top of him and tickle his neck making him squirm. He tries to push you off, but you're straddling him, so you have the advantage and you keep him down for a while while he laughs and makes empty threats at you.

Finally he finds the strength to roll you over, only now he's got you pinned completely. He takes your arms as you struggle under him and pins them above your head with one hand while his other hand trails along the inside of your left arm, sending goose bumps up in its wake. Your arm instinctively pulls down at the sensation, but he's too strong so the motion only slightly bends your elbow. "I always win." He says, a dark smirk playing across his lips. You give him a hard glare and make one last hurrah, attempting to roll over, but only your shoulders and ribs bend because he has your hips pinned to the mattress. Then you let your body relax. "I give." You say, and he releases your hands, using both arms to prop himself up on his elbows.

You reach up and mess up his hair, frowning at him. "It's not fair. You ALWAYS win." You complain. He bends down and you can feel his breath tickling the tiny fuzz on your ear. "Always." He whispers. You're just about to punch him in the shoulder when you hear a cough. You move your head to look past him and you see Tom Mason, his father. You know how this must look. You both have ruffled hair, the sheets are tangled and he's on top of you with his hips between your legs. "Get a room." His father says. Hal Mason, his brother comes up to stand behind Tom Mason. "They had a room dad. Are we gonna go through this every time?" Hal says, a look of amusement plain on his face.

Finally he rolls off of you and you sit up, trying in vain to fix your hair. "It's not...We were just..." You say, trying to find the right words. "I poked her. Then she attacked me and well...you know." He adds. You stand up, facing him with your hands on your hips. "I did not ATTACK you. I tickled you!" You say defiantly. He just smirks. "Ahem." You both turn to see Tom Mason with an exasperated expression. "I don't care WHAT you were doing, but there's someone who wants to see you. You too, Ben." He says, walking out the door with Hal on his heels. You walk over to your bag and pull out fresh clothes and a change of underwear. You set them on the table and turn impatiently to Ben.

"Are you going to leave so I can get dressed?" You ask him. "Huh?" He says. Then after a second he shakes his head. "Yeah. Sorry..." He says. You straighten the bed as he gets up, walking to the door. "I'll be getting my stuff together for the food run this evening. We need to be down in the medical bus in an hour to visit your sis. If you need anything come and get me." He says, tapping his fingers on the doorframe before walking down the hall. Something about the way he says 'anything' makes you smile. You listen to the sound of his footfalls until you can no longer hear them. You know he can still hear you.

Throwing on the new clothes and tying up your hair in a long brown pony, you pause to peek at yourself in the shard of mirror that stands on your dresser. You have bags under your eyes and you look tired, but your skin is clean and your bangs frame your face, falling down from the pony that trails halfway down your spine. You grab your rifle and sling it over your back then you set off at a brisk pace down the hallway. At the end, you turn into a small alcove and lean in the doorframe of his room. He's too busy shoving supplies and extra clothes in his pack to notice you. You watch him for a while, admiring the way his muscles move and frowning at the size of your own muscles. He zips up the bag and sets it on his freshly made bed. Then he turns and finally sees you. He flinches, but doesn't jump back like you were hoping he would. "How long have you been standing there?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at you. "How long did you spend in my room before you woke me up?" You counter. He pushes past you and you see his gun is also slung across his shoulders. He takes your hand and pulls you with him. "Let's go eat breakfast." He says.

When you catch up to him, he drops your hand and you walk side by side through the halls to the sort of cafeteria. "I'll get us food; you go sit down and make sure no one gets our favorite spot." You nod and take off to the back corner where two chairs sit at a worn out table. You sit down and wait, running your hands along the gnarled wooden surface of the table. After a few moments, Ben returns with your food. He sets down a bowl of oatmeal in front of you and in his own place as well. Then he casually sets down a cinnamon roll next to your bowl, on a plate. You stare at it in awe as he sits down across from you. "Where did you get that?" You ask him. Normally the best you get is sugary cereal.

He smiles that half smile that you hate to love. "I picked it up for you last time we went on a food run. I was saving it for a special occasion and since we got your sister back, I thought now might be a good time." He said, spooning a bite of oatmeal into his mouth. "I love you." You say teasingly, nearly drooling over the warm cinnamon-glaze smell that is gracing your nose. "I know." He says, his words muffled by the oatmeal. You laugh and take a bite of your oatmeal as well. You quickly finish the bowl of oatmeal and turn hungrily toward the cinnamon roll. The only reason you didn't eat that first was because you wouldn't have wanted the oatmeal after that and the 2nd Mass can't afford to waste. You grab the cinnamon roll and take a messy bite out of it, savoring the rich flavors and warm sensations it brings to your mouth.

"You have to try this!" You tell Ben when you swallow the first bite. He just shakes his head. "No, it's yours." He says. You shove it in his face. "Well I'm sharing it with YOU." You say. "Now take a bite before I change my mind." You smirk at him. He reluctantly grabs the roll from you and takes a bite. His face lights up as he chews. "Wow." He says when he finishes. You both continue to share the cinnamon roll until it's gone. He insists on you having the last bite. When you open your mouth to protest, he pops it in your mouth. Your lips close around the tip of his finger as he pulls it back. He doesn't seem to notice, but instead sucks the glaze off of the finger and his thumb. Then reaches up and wipes his finger gently across the edge of your mouth. He pulls his hand back and wipes it on his camo pants. "Sorry." He says, looking down sheepishly. "You had glaze on your face." You bite on your lip and nod. "Thanks."

The civilians and fighters that are in the cafeteria eye the two of you accusingly. They don't trust Ben because he was harnessed before, but you know better. Even when Ben first got back you knew he wouldn't turn out like Rick. That's why, as you saw more and more rude comments and rumors happen at the ex-harnessed kids' expense, you sought Ben out and became friends with him. You sat with him at meals, went on 'errands' with him and made sure he knew that you didn't think of him as a 'razorback' or 'coat hanger'. At first he was skeptical of your motives, but as you became friends, he worried less and opened up more. He became your best friend and you became his. So it didn't bother either of you that everyone was staring. They could stare all they wanted, but you knew you would never let them get to you.

"Let's go see your sister." Ben says, but you're zoned out, thinking about when you first saw him being brought back. He had seemed so dull and lifeless. After they removed the harness he seemed alive. More than that, he seemed human. He had a fire in his eyes, hate against the skitters. That's what had attracted your attention in the first place. A hand on your arm pulls you away from those memories. "Hey, let's go." Ben says. You remember that you have to meet your sister and excitement fills you to the brim. "Right! Let's hurry." You say, jumping up and grabbing your gun which was leaned up against the back of your chair. You sling it over your shoulder again and walk with him from the cafeteria. He drops off the dirty plates and utensils on your way out.

When you reach the med bus your sister calls out to you from inside. "Sissy?" Her voice squeaks from inside. You try to contain your excitement but it's too much and you take off running into the bus. When you get inside you look around and then you spot her. Anne is standing next to her. You run up and hug your sister gently. She squeezes you tightly. "I missed you so much, sweetie." You tell her. "I know, I'm sorry." She says, and you hear the tears in her voice. They make you cry, but the tears are happy. "I love you so much." You choke out. "I love you too sissy." She says. You give her a kiss on the cheek and step away from the hospital bed. "You wanted to see Ben?" You say, curious of why that might be. "Yes." She says, holding out her arms. Ben hesitantly accepts her hug with a warm smile. "Thank you, Ben." She says. "Anne told me that you personally carried me from town back to here." Ben straightens up and smiles, nodding to accept her gratitude. You turn to Ben. "You carried her here?" You ask him in disbelief. He nods, smiling at you. You hug him and whisper in his ear, "Thank you." He responds by holding you tighter against his chest. "Thanks Anne." You say as you peer over his shoulder at her. She nods in reply. Ben releases you and you give your sister one last hug and kiss her forehead before leaving her to rest.

Ben then walks you back to your room. You walk straight in but he stops, leaning against the doorframe like he usually does. "So what are you doing later?" He asks, a scheming look on his face. "Nothing important." You reply, eyeing him suspiciously. "Good." He says, still not letting you in on what he's thinking. You wait a second to see if he'll tell you. When he doesn't you let out an exasperated sigh and flop down on your bed. "I gotta go see my dad. If you need anything-" You cut him off before he can finish. "Come find you. Yes I know." You smile smugly. He rolls his eyes. "Yeah." Then he walks off down the hall. Since you have nothing better to do, you go down to the cafeteria to see if you can help out there. They tell you that they have enough volunteers for the day, so you leave and walk aimlessly down the hallway. Matt sees you as he comes around the corner and waves.

"Hey! Wanna come play a game with me?" He asks. Then he looks down. "If you're not too busy." You smile and ruffle his curly locks. "What game?" You ask. He lightens up a bit. "Go Fish?" You smile at him. "Sure. Lead the way." Since you befriended Ben, Matt has become like a younger brother to you. He looks up to you almost as much as he looks up to Ben and Hal and you appreciate his love. You're surprised when he leads you to Ben's room. "Are you sure we should be in there while Ben isn't around?" You ask, hesitant to go in without Ben's permission. Matt just shrugs. "It's not our fault he hogs the games." He says, making you chuckle. Reluctantly you follow Matt inside. "It's been a long time you since I last played Go Fish." You say casually as you watch Matt expertly sift through Ben's things. "I used to play it with Ben and Hal before the skitters came. We always used to fight over who was cheating." Matt tells you, smiling at the memories. You smile too.

You sit down cautiously on Ben's bed. Matt is still searching for playing cards, so you recline, setting your head gingerly on one if the pillows. It feels weird to be laying here without him even knowing, but you realize his bed is comfortable and so you stay there, relaxing. When you feel something putting pressure on the mattress you look up to see Matt sitting there with a pack of cards. As you sit up, he slides them out of the package and deals you both five each. You play one game with him and he wins. You frown at him. "Rematch?" He smiles. "Can't wait to lose again, can you?" You play countless games with him, each time he beats you. He deals out five cars again and you pick yours up. "Got any fives?" He asks. You hand him your five with a sigh. "Got any threes?" You ask hopefully. He grins. "Go fish." You draw a card. Ten minutes later you still have nothing and he has six more matches. Throwing your cards on the bed you put your hands up in a defensive position.

"I give up. You HAVE to be cheating!" You say. Matt laughs and says, "I'm not cheating." You let out a grunt. "Well there is no way you beat me without cheating." You insist. "Someone's a sore loser." A voice says from the doorway. Matt jumps at the same time as you do. Before you turn to look at him, you know its Ben. Guiltily you jump off his bed and stand there awkwardly. "Hey." You say. A look of amusement crosses his face. "Enjoying my bed?" He says, raising his eyebrows at you. "Yes. It's very comfortable." You say, only half sarcastically. Matt cleans up the cards and sets them on the nightstand. Then he tries to slip out of the room unnoticed, but Ben grabs his arm and rubs his fist against the top of his head. "Stay out of my room, pipsqueak." He says lightheartedly. Matt nods and runs off. Ben laughs as he watches his little brother.

"Thanks for entertaining him." He says. "It's the least I can do after you carried my sister back here." You reply. The clock on the wall chimes loudly and you both look at it. The time reads 1:00pm. When you turn back around, Ben is standing right in front of you, holding out a pack. "What's that?" You ask. "Your pack for the food run." He replies with a smirk. You narrow your eyes at him. "But I don't go on important missions like that. All Weaver ever has me do is patrolling and stupid crap like that. "Ben grins proudly. "That's over with. Weaver ranked you up and now you're in with our team." You stare at him accusingly. "Why would he do that?" Before he says it, you know the answer.

"I called in a favor with my dad. That was what I needed to talk to him about." You grab the pack from him and sling it across your shoulders. "Alright let's go." You say. He leads you down a series of hallways in silence. Suddenly a disturbing thought reaches your mind. "Did you pack up my pack?" You ask. He looks sideways at you. "Yeah, why?" You brace yourself for the awkward thing you are about to say. "Did you pack a change of clothes?" He nods. "And...underwear?" You blurt out hesitantly. He stops in his tracks and swallows hard. "Yeah." The reply is so quiet that you almost don't hear it. You nod and walk past him and out the front door. Outside, Maggie, Hal, Tom, and Weaver are waiting for you. Maggie smiles and pats your shoulder. "Welcome to the crew rookie." She says. "Thanks." You reply, turning to Weaver. "And thank you for giving me a chance. You won't regret it." Weaver cracks a smile. "Well, if the Mason boys think you're good enough for our missions then I trust you'll be a good addition to the team." He says, exchanging a glance with Tom.

When all of the supplies are in order, you help Maggie and Hal stack things in the back of a truck, then you go to find Weaver for further instructions. "Hop up in the truck. You're going to ride with Ben." He tells you. On your way back to the truck Ben runs up behind you. "I heard we're riding together." He says cheerfully. You nod, feeling too lazy to speak. When he holds out a rifle to you, you gawk at it. It has much higher quality than the shotgun they gave to you and you admire the sleek black barrel with respect. "That is a beautiful gun. Whose is it?" You ask softly, not taking your eyes off of it. "It's yours. Someone must have gotten it for you last time we went on a weapons run because it had a sticky note attached to it with you r name on it." He tells you, placing it in your hands. "Wow." You say, hopping up in the shotgun seat.

You lay the gun across your lap carefully as you prop your feet up on the dashboard. Ben jumps in on the driver side and starts up the engine. You drive slowly behind the rest of the team as they walk down the streets toward the nearest grocery store. Suddenly Weaver puts his hand up and everyone stops. Ben puts the truck in park and you both jump out and join the crew. "We'll go in and collect as much as we can and bring it out to load up the truck. We can't risk parking the truck too close in case the skitters find us." Weaver explains. "Ben, you two gather canned food such as beans and fruits. Hal, take Maggie and collect bags of things such as flour and sugar. Tom and I will gather meats and other things that need refrigeration." Everyone nods and you set off down the road, following Ben down the street and around the corner. Once inside the store you split up into your respective groups. Ben leads you down the aisle that is marked for soups. You grab a shopping cart that was lying on its side and flip it so Ben can load it up with various soups. He also grabs broths. Then you move on to the canned food section and you grab pears while Ben grabs peaches and mandarin oranges. After that you go to your last stop, the beans. You grab black beans and red beans and pinto beans as well as lima beans.

By the time you have collected as much as you can you and Ben each have a cart overflowing with cans. As you start to wheel the carts toward the door, a shout sounds and then a shot is fired. Several more shots go off. You exchange a worried glance with Ben and pull out your new gun, cocking it as he does the same with his gun. You follow him through the nearest aisle and around the corner. A skitter jumps out from the next aisle over and blocks you path. Ben grabs your hand and pulls you the other direction. He pushes through the doors marked 'Employees only' and then around a corner and through another door. Its pitch black inside but you can feel how small the room is. It has to be a janitorial or supply closet. You hear the skitter coming down the hallway and your pulse quickens. Ben must be able to hear it because he retreats to the back wall of the room and pulls you tightly against him. His hand slides gently over your mouth. "Don't scream." He whispers in your ear. You nod, even though you hadn't been planning on making any noise. He holds you like that until the sounds of the skitter disappear. When he releases you, you turn around and hug him. "Thanks for getting me away from that skitter." You whisper. "You reacted so quickly I would have been dead if not for you." You sense him shaking his head more than you actually see it. "You're smart. You would have gotten away." You shrug and cautiously open the door. Peeking your head around the corner, you look for any signs of the skitter. After you decide it's safe, you step out from the closet and head carefully back into the store.

Maggie and Hal meet you as you walk back through the 'Employees Only' door. "Are you guys alright? Hal asks. "Yeah." Ben answers for both of you. "Hal, what happened?" You ask. "We were collecting some spices over by the baking aisle and a skitter came in from the deli door. I shot it, but it bruised up Maggie pretty well before I could kill it." Hal explains. Maggie rolls her eyes. "I'm fine." She insists, leaning her head on his shoulder. Tom and Weaver come running over from a few aisles down. "What happened?" Tom asks, a worried expression still displayed on his face. Hal recounts the story to him and Weaver. When they finish, Tom nods. "There was another skitter here too. It chased us into the storage area and for some reason it left." Ben added. "Well it will probably be back soon with reinforcements. Let's not be here when it does." Weaver says. You and Ben walk back to your carts and wheel them out the front. You take the lead and the others follow close behind. The carts are unloaded quickly as everyone pitches in, helping each other. This time the team hops into the back of the truck and you drive. As you navigate your way back to the 2nd Mass's camp, Ben leans his back against the window and stares out the windshield. He hums a light tune as you drive and you can't help but smile.

Suddenly you hear shots fired from the truck bed. "Not again." You mutter, turning to try and see what's going on behind you. "Skitters!" Weaver calls out. Several more shots are fired much closer to you. You turn and see Ben leaning out the window, his gun aimed at a skitter you can't see. Jaw set and eyes focused he fires another shot and you hear the skitter squeal in pain. You turn the truck, leading the skitters away from camp. "Is everything alright back there?" You call. A few more shots then someone calls back. "We're fine." It sounds like Hal, but you can't be sure. You make a few more wild turns and then head down a strip of straight road. Ben sits down again, lowering his gun. "I think we lost them." He says, catching his breath. You let out a long sigh. Then you head for home. As you pull in in between two buses, Pope comes striding toward the truck. "What happened, I heard shots." He questions as you put the truck in park and slide out. "Skitters followed us from the store. Thanks to our bullets and your exceptional driving skills," Weaver pauses to throw a glance at you which makes you blush. "We got away." Pope nods to Weaver, walking back into the building with you.

You hear him complaining to Weaver that he should have gone with you as you pass them. "Maybe next time." Weaver says. Ben walks you back to your room. As you walk down the hallway he smiles. "What?" You say. "Weaver seems to like you." He replies. "I would hope so." You say. "What are you going to do now?" Ben asks, turning to look at you. "Sleep. That food run took longer than I thought it was going to." He nods, and you reach the door to your room. He leans against the doorframe. "Goodnight." He says. "Goodnight." you reply as you walk past him and into your room. Suddenly his arm hooks around you waist and he turns you around. Your lips are just inches apart. You can feel his breath on your lips. "Ben?" You whisper, looking up into his eyes. The motion brings your lips closer to his. He lets out a sigh and tilts his face down, lightly pressing his lips to yours. Your arms wrap instinctively around his neck and his arm tightens around your waist, pulling you tight against his body. He pulls back and looks down at you shyly. Biting your lip in hesitation, you grab his shirt and pull him inside, slamming the door shut behind you.


	2. Chapter 2

You open your eyes to bright sunlight beaming through the window. You shield your eyes as you sit up, stretching luxuriously. A yawn escapes your mouth as you hang your feet over the side of the bed. "Morning." You look up to see Ben smiling at you from the chair in the corner of the room. "Were you watching me sleep?" You ask laughing. "I was just about to wake you up." He replies with a smirk. "Well I'm up now." You say, grabbing the cup of water from your night stand and taking a sip. Walking over to the window, you reach up and close the curtains, blocking out some of the harsh light. You feel strong hands slide around your hips from behind and Ben's lips brush against your neck. Suddenly something shakes your shoulders violently. Matt's worried face comes blurring into view as your eyelids fly open. Sadly, you realize that it was all just a dream. "Wake up! Wake up!" Matt is saying as you rub your eyes. "It's Ben. He's gone!" You find yourself suddenly wide awake. "What? No. Did you check everywhere?" You ask, thinking that Ben couldn't have run away. You just saw him last night, there's no way he would have just left. Matt nodded vigorously. "We even checked the nearby roads to see if he just went off on a walk or something. No one can find him anywhere and dad is worried that he left for good this time." He says, panic pulsing through his voice. "Hal sent me to come get you. He says you were the last one to see Ben. He wants you to meet him, dad, and Weaver down in Weaver's office." As you start to realize that Ben might have actually taken off, your heart sinks. Had you done something wrong last night? "Tell them I'll be right there Matt, honey." You say smiling tiredly at him. The boy takes off down the hallway. Closing the door behind him, you slip into some regular clothes and tie your hair up in a messy bun.

When you get to the office, everyone is sitting around the coffee table waiting for you. Tom Mason stands up when he sees you, running a hand anxiously through his dark hair. "What happened last night. Did Ben mention anything about leaving?" He asks quickly. When Weaver pats the chair next to him, you sit down, clasping your hands nervously in your lap. "We need you to go through the events of last night so we have an idea of what happened." Weaver explains. "Can you tell us?" As much as they need you to, you are hesitant to admit what happened. You were talking to Ben's father and brothers after all. Finally and reluctantly, you agree to tell them. "When we came home last night, Ben walked me back to my room. He must have been high on adrenaline because he kissed me goodnight." All eyes are focused on you. "Is that it?" Hal asks. You lick your lips nervously. "Not exactly." Swallowing hard, you brace yourself and continue. "Somehow we ended up in my room and we were kissing on my bed. Then he just got up, said goodnight and left." You finish. Shifting uncomfortably under their gazes you refuse to look up. "He didn't really say anything to me. I don't know where he could have gone." You add. Tom paces anxiously. "We need to send a patrol to look for him."

"I'll go." Hal says. Maggie nods in agreement. You didn't even know she was there. "Can I go?" Matt asks, a pleading tone in his voice. "No Matt. Not with the skitters so close to home yesterday." He pouts. "I'm going." You announce. Tom gives you a concerned look. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. You are new to this team and we don't even know if you can shoot. I think you should sit this one out." Slipping your pistol from its sheath at your side, you fire a shot through the brightly colored vase sitting on a table across the room. "With all due respect sir, I wasn't asking. I know Ben is your son, but he's also my best friend." You say, staring determinedly at him. Hal chuckles and you both look at him. "What?" You say simultaneously. He laughs again. "Do you make out with all your 'friends'?" You glare at him. "If you weren't his brother I swear I would kick your ass." You snap. No longer able to control your annoyance and embarrassment, you flee into the hallway and around the corner, sliding you back down the wall and placing your forehead on your bent knees. A few seconds later you feel someone sit down beside you. "Hal can be an ass sometimes." Maggie says. Barely lifting your head, you turn to smile weakly at her. "Do you think he left us?" You ask. "Ben, I mean."

"Honestly, I don't know. I don't think he would do that to you, but it wouldn't be the first time he's left us." You nod. "Yeah I know, but last time he told us he was leaving." Tears well up in your eyes and you turn away. "I can't lose him, Maggie. Not now." You choke out. Maggie rubs her hand on your shoulder. "Hey. It will be alright. We'll find him and bring him back." You force the tears away and set your jaw determined to get ahold of yourself. "You're right. The only thing I have to worry about is Tom. I think he still sees me as some low rank kid. I wonder how Ben talked him into getting me on the team in the first place."

"I'll handle Tom. You go prep a pack because you ARE coming with us." Maggie instructs you. You look at her curiously. "Why are you helping me? I've never done anything for you." The look on her face reminds you of the look on Ben's face when they brought him back harnessed; blank and distant. Then she smiles softly. "Because I know if it was Hal I would want to go at all costs."

"Can I say something sort of personal?" You ask, needing desperately to talk to someone. "I don't do well with feelings and all that so if you need advice I can't help. I'll listen though." You nod. "When Ben kissed me...Man it feels weird to say that, but when he did I didn't expect it. Do you know why he did it?" Maggie presses her lips together. "No sorry. Ben doesn't tell me things. I would say ask Tom but he's a bit stressed at the moment." Disappointed that you still don't know what got into Ben, you nod slowly and stand up. "Thanks Maggie."

"We're leaving right after I talk to Tom so hurry up and prep." Maggie says, turning and leaving down the hallway. Pulling yourself together, you walk steadily down the dimly lit hallway and into your room. You imagine Ben standing and leaning in the doorway, smiling that half smile you hate so much. It makes you feel bittersweet. Quickly prepping for the mission, you start to think more logically. 'Ben probably just needs time to think' you think to yourself and you realize that you probably need time to think too. Then you think a more horrifying thought. grabbing your things, you sprint to Weaver's office and throwing the doors open, you storm inside. Everyone looks up, alarmed at your sudden intrusion. "Is everything alright?" Tom asks and for a second you want to say, 'like you care.' Instead you focus on what you rushed here for. Breathless and shaky, you try to speak but the sentences come out in chunks.

"What...what if Ben...didn't just wander...off?" You choke out, pausing to catch your breath. "What do you mean?" Weaver asks. Sucking in a large breath, you continue. "What if the skitters...came back for him?" Tom looked like he was about to cry or punch someone. "How could they have taken him without us knowing?" He hissed through gritted teeth. "It makes perfect sense really." You say. "Ben. He has this hiding spot down by the river that only he can get to. Its beautiful really, a cave with a pool of water coming in from the river itself. The way the light ripples on the limestone walls, it's simply breathtaking."

"How would you know, if only Ben can get there?" One of them interjects. "Ben took me there once. He had to carry me up this cliff-like rock surface and a few feet from the top, the entrance to the cave was hidden. Anyway, let's say he went there to clear his head. He's sitting there thinking when the skitters find him. There isn't another exit, so it would have been extremely simple for them to take him." There is a long pause and then Tom says, "He would have heard the skitters coming." It's a good point, but not solid enough. "Are you always alert when you're deep in thought, Tom Mason?"

The next thing you know, everyone is donning their packs and grabbing various things from the weapons locker. You grab you new rifle, a few unowned daggers and your pistol. Since you have to travel mostly off-road to get to Ben's hideout, you all decide to walk on foot. Tom had decided that the first order of business would be to check on your theory. It takes a while, but you lead them to the cliff. For a mile or so you had them walk blindfolded. Tom and Weaver didn't like the idea but you insisted that Ben wouldn't want them to know the way and reluctantly they agreed to do it. "You can take your blindfolds off now." You tell them. Everyone reaches up and pulls the strips of fabric from their heads. "Holy shit!" Hal exclaims, staring at the sheer side of the cliff. The others' expressions mirrored his tone. "How the hell did Ben get up there? There aren't any footholds." Weaver says, bemused. "He just kinda jumped on and he stuck." You reply. Instantly you regret it because they look really freaked out. You let out a snort. "Now I know why Ben's all self-conscious." Tom opens his mouth to say something but Weaver cuts him off. "So how do we get up there?" Something that Ben had said pops into your head. "Well, if we go left along the cliff face the. There will be a tunnel leading up to the top, but that might take hours."

"Well, let's go." Maggie says. When you reach the tunnel it looks black and foreboding Tom insists on leading the way and you're grateful because secretly you don't want to go first. Darkness can be deceiving and dangerous especially with the threat if crawlers. It takes a very long time to travel up the winding tunnel. Many times you have to stop and take a break. Other than that, the air is thick with humidity and your shirt is sticking to your back. You peel off your shirt but even in your tank top you don't feel any cooler than before. Pitch black is all you can see and the smell is musty and a bit salty, like the smell of minerals. When you finally break out into the sunlight it stabs at your eyes with blinding light. You let out a grunt of pain. Slowly and painfully your eyes adjust and you lead the team to the edge of the cliff. They all let out cries of alarm as you drop over the edge. Landing easily on your feet, you stare up at them from a ledge about ten feet down. "Relax." You say with a laugh, walking into the entrance to the cave. The sounds of them jumping down echo off of the smooth rocky walls. The path slopes up and empties out into the cave. It looks exactly like it had when Ben took you there, but the dirt on the floor was all scuffed around and there was a blood splatter on the wall next to the body of a skitter.

"Looks like you were right, rookie." Weaver said, patting your shoulder blade. "It looks as though Ben was sitting here when they attacked. There was a struggle and then Ben shot the one skitter but another one came up behind him and knocked him out on the rock wall. It looks like the son of a bitch dragged him out through here." Weaver points to the entrance. Although they left shoe marks in the dirt, you can still clearly see the dragging marks underneath. Once you're all back on top of the cliff, (you used a short rope to get back up) you look around, trying to see any sign of which direction they took him.

"Over here." Hal calls and everyone rushes over to him. There's a trail of blood drops leading in a northern direction. "Ok listen up everybody." Weaver says. "Have your weapons ready and be on alert. We don't know what we're gonna find on the other end if this trail, but I can guarantee it ain't gonna be pretty." You slide you rifle off your shoulder and cock it, holding it in front of you while you follow Hal and Maggie down the trail. Weaver leads and Tom takes the rear. Suddenly Maggie and Hal stop and you slam into Hal's back. "Sorry." He whispers. Looking past him, you see that Weaver is holding up his hand. You push past Hal and Maggie and peer over his shoulder.

Some sort of alien facility stands in a clearing in front of you. There are beamers circling the top and skitters patrolling the entrance. "We can only send one person if we want to go unnoticed." Weaver says. "I nominate you rookie." Much to your surprise, Tom Mason is the one speaking. "Why? I thought you didn't want me on this mission in the first place." You say. With a long sigh, he fixes you with an intense look. "Watching you today, your ideas and your determination. Your love for my son is respectable. I thought maybe you only wanted to use him to get ranked up, I mean why else would anyone want to befriend my lizard boy...as Pope would put it. But now I realize that your motives were pure. He always talks about you, you know." Blushing, you duck your head shyly. "I never realized that's why you hated me." Tom smiles. "I never hated you. I just never trusted you until now."

"Ok. I'll go." You agree. You raise your rifle and take step forward. "Good luck rookie." Maggie says teasingly and you smile. "Thanks." You head around the edge of the clearing to the back side of the building. There are a few skitters but it's less guarded. There's a hole in the 'building' large enough to crawl through if you can make it past the skitters. Something taps your shoulder and you flip around, aiming your gun and putting slight pressure on the trigger. Matt drops to the ground, hands above his head. "Don't shoot." He whispers loudly. You quickly lower the gun and help him up. "Matty, what the hell are you doing here? I almost shot you. You could be dead now!" You yell-whisper at him. "Well I'm not. I followed you here because I knew dad wouldn't let me come. I want to be a part of rescuing Ben." He tells you. "I'm coming with you."

"Ha ha, like hell you are. Go find Hal and Maggie, they'll take you home." You instruct him. Then you turn and start creeping toward the skitters. "I'll run out there." Matt threatens. When you dont say anything, he starts to run ahead of you, making a lot more noise than he should. "Fine!" You whisper. "Just get back here." He grins as he quietly makes his way back to stand beside you. "I knew you'd see it my way." He says smugly. "Damn it Matt, your dad's gonna have my ass for this." You mutter. "Follow me and keep your mouth shut." You tell him, more than a little annoyed at his blackmail. You lead the way, ducking behind large objects that hum or vibrate and eventually making it to the hole. There's a skitter blocking your path. Looking around and seeing no other skitters close by, you run up to it and pull out the dagger. When it flips around to see who's coming, you shove the knife up through its mouth and into its brain. An eerie sound emits from the skitter, but none of the other skitters are close enough to hear. After you pull the knife out, you crawl through the hole, followed by Matt.

On the other side there's a creepy red glow. It looks like a giant hallway. There are a bunch if doors on either side and you cautiously approach one. They each have a sort of window. You check the rooms on the left while Matt checks the ones on the right. Neither if you find Ben. At the end of the hall you turn a corner and walk up a ramp that twists like a staircase. Pinkish red lights pulse on and off everywhere. When you reach the top it opens up into another large hallway. There's only one room on the left and one on the right ar opposite ends of the hall. The one closest to you is on the right. You peer inside and see a bunch of metal tables. Some have teenagers strapped down and others are empty. There are no skitters inside at the moment. You throw open the door and walk inside. In the room there is a large tank filled with pinkish orange liquid. Long slimy bugs swim around inside the tank. You realize that those bugs are the harnesses. Then you see the metal chutes connecting the tank to the tables. "What the hell are you doing here?" A slightly hoarse voice calls out. Ben is tied to one of the tables, his shirt missing. "Ben!" Matt exclaims, running over to him and undoing the straps that bind him. You start to help him, but Ben shakes his head. "Go untie the others." You do as he says and pretty soon all of the teenagers are untied and fleeing out the door. "Let's get out of here before they come back." Ben says, standing with Matt in the doorway. You cut the last one loose and she runs past them with a thank you. "Ok." You reply, then you follow Ben and Matt down the hall and around a corner. "This isn't the way we came." You tell Ben. He grabs you hand, twining his finders with yours. "I know. It's safer though." Suddenly Matt trips over a metal pipe and it breaks off, clattering noisily down the hall. The sound echoes off of the walls. You all start to run but it's too late, the skitters are coming behind you. One grabs you by the waist and yanks you back. "Ben!" You yell, struggling to cling to his hand. He tries to pull you back but the skitter matches his strength. The sound of more skitters reaches your ears. You relax you hand. "Go." Ben shakes his head and grips you tighter. "No way. I'm not leaving you with them!" You gently squeeze his hand. "You have to get Matt out of here. And you need to go NOW." Ben pushes his lips together and nods. "I...uh." He starts to say. "I know. Me too." You say smiling. "Go, I'll be fine." You lie. A sad smile crosses his face and then he lets go of your hand and picks Matt up, disappearing from sight at a sprints. A tear rolls down your face as the skitter drags you back to the harnessing room.


End file.
